Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1887-05-01
MISSIONARY wIRrH.
MS Progress In AIaska-six MORths
without news fTOm Home.

without news fT0m Home.
Among the cargo OF teachers which
the steam schooner Leo took from here
on September LIST, lss6. under the super
vision Of Rev Sheldon Jack son, Gov
eminent agent Of Educatiou for Aiasks,
we're Rev. James A. Wuth and bis wife
who we're stationed az AfoRDak. an
island near Kodiak. The following let
ter, kindly furnished to rs by Mr.. Hor-
ton, will be read with much interest By
the many frien is Of Mr.. aud Mrs. With
10 this community:
Dsrtsr Hortoa EsQ -DEAR BRoTHEk;
You may b. glad to get few lines from
this out Of the world place. Afognak is
q rye island. separated from the still
larger island Of Kodak, by a very nsr-
row channel, and lying IN about 80 deg
N, las, Just az the mouth Of Cooks 10 r
let. Tbs vhsie business Of the people
here is fishing aud hunting far for the
Alaska Commercial Company. Non
iually the natives are msmbers Of the
Greek church; bot Ia reality they have
30 mOrs idea OF true Felleian han the
Indians. and Eskimo on the mails
land. they have simply accepted the
rites and ceremonies OF the Greek
church as . form uuder which they
continna 20 prsstice all their heather
saperstitiens. OF preae0ins they know
of toe Gospel they knoE moth
ing. Their services are always the sane
Iney consist IN the reading Of ktnd OF
a litaay ia language which they do not
understand, inteEspsrsed with some
chant that - Tepeatcd over aHd oytr
again 20 the cad OF the service Tie
peopls stand-tbeIe are 20 ssais-the
man who reads and ads the chanting
IL behind some projection entirely out
sight. Duyius the service the people
cross theme lves. aud some
time they fan on thsir knees and touet
the floor With t.eif foreheaas. Cnurch
u held generally on Saturday evening
~ 6 o'clock. ahd Sunday u 1rnins at y
o'clock After service, they visit and
drink. 10 they can get whisky, and Sun
dsy evening Is the favorits might for
dances. They hAve an immense num-
Der OF holidays (Prasnick, in Rassiau)
which they observe by going to church
Ia the msrnIng. and getting drunk in
the afternoon aud evening. Tue only
priest for hundreds % miles ar0and
lives az katiack, and Of ann aud hrs
Wife, Il Il asid that they are abou, the
worst drunkards in the cauRtry. You
have na idea how fearful aHd general
drunkenness Is among this people. |
have never seen % many. aud sacb
xrefahedlv drunken men and women
- we bad here during the RassiSu
Christmas. Which lasted fnur days
There u Indeed great need % mis-.
sionaFy efforts here. Yes the faei that
he poor henightcd souls think they are
Christians already. ard thaf, IN fact.
lhsru are no CHRISTIANS except those be-
anr ing 90 the Greek Church. makes eur
xnJk very difficuli one sun | AN
giad ne are here. We have started 3
i,gie school which Ne bope Gill BE- The
beginning u brighter aud better thiups
Tor this resicn- think ws are eradu-
siiy getting the good Will Of the natives,
4ad 1T Gaa he for rs. wh0 can Be
against Rs"l Oar greatest din suity ~
present Is car want Of kuowiedse OF
he lapgu age. We have tao languages
aere--fWo villages wHhin haif 3 mile
y each o.hsr, = orrele RusSan half
breeds Aad an Alsa'e II E,kluno vii [
sce. eaoh Of vhica has lgs Eva Lao
saaze The Creoies sresk q sort OF
Russian uhgeb we ars trying O. learn
q "a 81 oar might Well. - are set
ns 90 thAs Ne can make sac people
4 adeTstAnd auf wants. be- act eponRh
|. 81 g. tesch them nueh. [ afoFruaat-iy
re eanss nare Vithoat any bsa T. thst
n 49, D. I'll
and we have 30 interpreter. Ia n adiak
sh ne MIR sod Mrs.. k1scoe arr boring.
,hsre are quite a numbeE e y el5a zee
sho are abe ~ iCteTprsL bat saere ~
are tkef- are uous- / have s4at Tor sas
q osssAry seoks, add gben I ret then l Z
b 7pe - D2ke progress more RAPIDLY
n Snwslia ~ are dalnE tae bees ~
sAa We are very oasy. tsS-Alne scboc,
zurtng So dsv and siadyinz 81 uicht.
; Yea tee 50 are rof lonesome hot
lts sane uma it so1.d BE- = sssssar- q
meet vita suue cue SSH wLcm -
ecud talk. sud cspscl l.ls With sars
one wha knaWs Au1 loves TesaN Ne
sire veFy asxiuusv SailluE ~ s1nes
testers fTou SeNiis. Ia . cos 81
n usbs sincs Ne lefi, sn4 = hsvu "a
"a hsaEd q Wasd h tsis pieasss wa,
b. - kTpd a. 50 ss1d - & fes . ris
sac tiu, ard steu 1 katE NIKE a
ihe gsoFls ASS eea5try ! wal give Yea
: Eaoi g. seg g'ilaa ~ b a.. angl5ss tsll
IA yoe Il Zoe EuCgfsss q a1E wosk
Mrs. Var , ssH8s host reSzsds g Mrs.
doftCr AID Kourssf. Years n CaF q. .
JAMS A. NgszR.
Afe.Ntzs A.assa, Aafea / ISL.